Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Can the minister inform the Senate what steps the government is taking to ensure businesses are ready to meet the challenges of climate change?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Carol Brown for her question. I think it is well known that business leaders and union leaders have repeatedly made clear their view that enterprises have to adapt to the challenges of climate change. This is the reality of the 21st century.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

John Howard knew this, Senator Conroy, Malcolm Turnbull knew this and, up until December 2009, so did the Liberal Party itself.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have on both sides people drowning out Senator Carr, which I never thought I would say in this chamber. I need to hear Senator Carr’s answer.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I will do my best to make myself heard via you.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Carr.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we do know is that John Howard did know that we needed to do something about climate change and Malcolm Turnbull—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You should refer to people by their correct titles.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is right—Mr Turnbull. Of course, up until December 2009 so did the Liberal Party itself know that. Since that time, we have seen a backward march to the Dark Ages by the overwhelming numbers in the Liberal Party. What we have seen, Senator Conroy, is the knuckle draggers have seized control of the Liberal Party. They have taken it upon themselves to malign scientists, we have seen them peddling—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy! There were others interjecting. I am trying to listen to Senator Carr.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have seen the maligning of scientists and the peddling of humbug and hysteria. We know that major corporations in this country do not share that approach. I notice in the Fairfax press this morning that Mr Murdoch is even taking the view that he is proud to announce to all staff that News Corp is now carbon neutral and will be ‘the first company of our kind to do so’. According to the Financial Review this morning, ‘Any News hacks railing against environmental causes’— (Time expired)

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister respond to industry concerns that their needs have been overlooked?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Framework principle No. 6, which was set down in the announcements which followed the Multi-Party Committee on Climate Change, has made it very clear that the approach that the government is taking to this whole issue is that we have to find a mechanism to price carbon that would ‘provide businesses with the confidence needed to undertake long-term investments in low emissions technology and infrastructure, which will reduce costs for households and businesses in the long-term’.

What we have, of course, is the complete contrast of that approach from that taken by those opposite. That is the great pity here. There is a genuine opportunity here for business to engage in a serious public policy debate, and that opportunity extends to the Liberal Party if they were to choose to take it up. What in fact we have seen from the Liberal Party is the view that they should turn their backs on the future of this country—they should turn their backs on the prosperity of the people of this country. We are finding that even News Limited has taken up the proposition— (Time expired)

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank the minister for his answer. I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate what the government is doing to defend the integrity of the science supporting climate change models?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are finding at the moment that the Leader of the Opposition has been travelling the country peddling humbug and hysteria. It has been clear that the climate change deniers, who have now seized control of the Liberal Party, are seeking to peddle doubt and uncertainty in people’s minds. We have seen that many people, including the member for Wentworth, have said the Liberal Party is currently led by people whose conviction on climate change is that it is nothing other than crap and that we do not need to do anything about it. What Mr Turnbull has been saying is that any policy that is announced will simply be a con—an environmental fig leaf to cover the determination to do nothing. So there is a very sharp contrast between the position that is taken by those on this side of the chamber, which is to defend the scientists and the rigour of the scientific method—(Time expired)